By the Sea, By the Sea
by Uncle Charlie
Summary: It's just a day at the shore, but nothing is ever as it seems in Sapphire's and Steel's world. Written for the Element Flash July prompt - grain of sand


Steel stared at his reflection and scowled. "I look a fool."

"I think you look rather nice." Sapphire adjusted the shirt slightly and stepped back to admire her handiwork.

"I would be more comfortable in a suit."

"That's because you are more familiar with it. However, it would be contrary to our surroundings. By wearing that you fit in. Besides, you have very nice legs."

"I do not care to fit it."

"From your lips to Their ears." Sapphire picked up an over-the-shoulder bag. "Don't be long."

She stepped into the sun and smiled as it began to warm her bare skin. She shivered slightly and began to walk slowly down the beach. She'd draped a gauzy wrap about her shoulders, but that didn't stop men from stopping to stare. She felt just a bit proud and content with their open admiration.

 _Pride goes before a fall or so I'm told._ Steel's voice drifted into her head.

 _So does tripping. Do come along, Steel._

 _I'm right behind you._

And so he was. She'd been careful not to make Steel's swim trunks too brief, but also not too frumpish. The white shirt he wore was airy and comfortable looking, but Steel looked anything but. He looked more like a man destined for a firing squad. For this assignment, they had to blend in, but Sapphire came to the realization that Steel only did that when it suited him.

Sapphire reached the blanket she'd spread out and lowered herself gracefully down upon it. The design was simple, but it was that very pattern which had attracted her to it. Its background was black and was interspaced and varying beams of brightly-colored stripes. All the color spectrum was represented. Sapphire smoothed the terry cloth down and smiled.

"Must you always be so pleasant?" Steel's blanket was a dark blue with spikes of colors. Sapphire thought it suited him.

"Must you always be so pragmatic?" She stretched her legs out and wiggled her toes. "I just feel that you should attach the same amount of energy to each new situation."

"Speaking of such, what is our assignment?" Steel brushed several grains of sand off his blanket and pulled on a pair of dark glasses. It made the brilliance of the sun more bearable.

"Make contact, ascertain the level of the threat and take the appropriate action."

"In short, the same as every other assignment. They have no idea what's going on."

Sapphire laughed softly. "Yes, I suppose that is accurate. They do know that several people have vanished from this beach, only to end up as energy signatures on another plane… Their plane."

"Why would the Transuranics kidnap people? They know human physicality prevents them from surviving in their world just as it would ours. We only co-exist here because we take on their form."

"It makes no sense, unless they are using humans as test subjects."

"For?"

"Us." The thought was disquieting enough without the bulk of a man who stopped before them.

"Curium, there you are."

"I beg your pardon?" Sapphire felt a tiny twinge in her stomach. There was something about this man, something not benign.

"I've no time for your games. We have been told that there are Elementals here today. Be sharp and be on the lookout for them."

"We will." Steel's voice was calm as he stood and carried none of the nervousness that Sapphire felt. "How did you know it was us?"

"The spectrum waves on your towels. That's very clever."

Steel nodded solemnly. "To whom do we report while here? Our information was very spotty."

"As usual. Either me or Hassium. He is stationed on the other side of the changing rooms." He paused. "Where's Nobelium?"

"He was reassigned. They couldn't keep him out of the ocean. You know how that type is about aquatic solutions."

The result was a laugh. "And you are?"

"Ununpentium – Seventh period." Steel didn't offer his hand.

"I'm impressed. They are calling out the major players for this. I'm Americium."

Steel nodded and scanned the horizon. "How will we know the Elementals?"

"No idea, but their dress is usually a dead giveaway. Get it? Dead giveaway."

Steel smiled and nodded. "When and if we locate them?"

Americium looked first to the left and then to the right. "We use this." He held out a small device. "It's been quite effective on the humans and with any luck, will work on them as well as long as they are in human form."

"May I?" Steel reached out and deftly plucked it from Americium's hand before he could protest. He turned it over and then knelt and showed it to Sapphire. "Relatively simple," he murmured. "And only a couple moving parts."

She reached for it and Steel dropped it to the towel.

"Be careful!" Americium snapped. "That's one of a kind."

Steel brushed the grains of sand from it. "It's fine. Its fall was cushioned." He tossed it back to the Transuranic and nodded. "Good engineering. Good luck."

"I'll let them know."

They watched Americium walk away.

 _That was close,_ Sapphire thought.

"No!" Steel shouted as the Transuranic spun, aiming the device at them.

"That was stupid, Elemental," Americium said with a sneer. "Transuranics can't mentally communicate with each other, but we can detect it in others."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." Sapphire murmured, her expression a mix of emotions.

"Sapphire, go now," Steel ordered, stepping in front of her, presenting her an opportunity to leave.

"Too late." Americium pointed the device and pushed a button. The device hummed, sparked and then both Transuranic and device disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Thanks be for that." Sapphire let out the breath she'd been holding.

"And for your marvelous sense of color. Otherwise, they might have spotted us first for what we are."

"What happened?" Sapphire straightened from her defensive position.

"We need to get out of here now." He sent a short and decisive message to Them.

"But what happened?" Sapphire asked as she gathered up the towels. "Why did the device malfunction?"

"It's the sand." Steel admitted with a small smile as he started to fade. "The damned stuff gets everywhere."


End file.
